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Welcome to the Tampa Alcohol Coalition

Are You Concerned About Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving?
Tampa Alcohol Coalition's (TAC) mission is to prevent underage drinking and impaired driving. Get involved- come to a TAC meeting to learn more about underage drinking, impaired driving, responsible vendor training, and safe rides. Network with other concerned citizens- including parents, students, university administrators, business owners and law enforcement officers. Go to Events for TAC monthly meeting dates, locations and times. To contact TAC, click here.

Upcoming TAC Meetings
Next meeting on May 15 at 3:00 pm at the Tampa Police Department at 9330 N. 30th Street..

HCSO SAVE Award
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office annual SAVE responsible vendor recognition was awarded to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa for their contributions toward reducing impaired driving and underage drinking in Hillsborough County. HCSO SAVE Award Media Release

Did you know that 7 people die in Florida every day from prescription drug overdose?
The Florida legislature listened to your concerns and passed comprehensive prescription drug abuse legislation to help stop "doctor shopping" and shut down pill mills. See article

2011 underage drinking bills: HB 105 and SB 746
These bills bassed in both the House and Senate and HB 105 has been signed by the Governor. The law increases the penalties for open house parties. Click here for more information about the new law that went into effect on July 1, 2011 on the Florida Coalition for Alcohol Policy (FCAP) site.

Profile of Alcohol and Drug Indicators for Hillsborough County
University of South Florida researchers Dr. Kathleen Moore and Dr. Scott Young conducted a community substance abuse assessment of Hillsborough County for the Hillsborough County Anti Drug Alliance.  Check out the latest edition of our June 2010 Alcohol and drug Indicators Report

Previous Versions:
2009_Alcohol_and_Drug_Indicators Report
Click here to view a pdf file of the 2008 Profile of Alcohol and Drug Indicators

Florida Alcohol Laws
Are you up to date on Florida's alcohol laws? Click here for the current Florida alcoholic beverage statutes.  Do you know the penalties for driving under the influence in Florida? Click here for a link to Florida DUI laws

Click on the link to view the "Don't Drink and Drive" ad sponsored by TAC/ HCADA that ran on WTOG 44, featuring the story of John Templeton's DUI crash that took the life of Julie Buchner: Don't Drink and Drive (wmv file)

      For a Safe Ride, Call ZINGO at 888-ZINGO-11

Zingo and the HCSO SAVE program in the News!

St. Petersburg Times article: MacDinton's Bar, Zingo Team up to Keep Impaired Drivers off the Road. Customers still pack the popular bar on weekends, but MacDinton's co-owner Barry O'Connor said they tend to choose happy hour specials and well drinks these days over top-shelf splurges. And, with the recession lingering and purse strings tightening, he worried that fewer would be willing to spend the extra money if they needed a ride home. The solution? The S Howard Avenue bar has partnered with the designated-driver company Zingo to zip intoxicated customers home — on the bar's dime. Read article in the SPT

TAC on WMNF
http://wmnf.org/news/2009/11?page=2 (scroll down the page to see)

Gasparilla Update

• Gasparilla 2012- New Alcohol Policies
• Gasparilla to Test Open Contaner Policy
• Gasparilla Parade 2011: fewer arrests this year
• Tampa Police Department webpage on Gasparilla Safety
• Pepin webpage on Gasparilla Responsibility campaign
• WTSP news story on Gasparilla 2011 alcohol rules

DUI Education: The Megan Napier Foundation http://themeagannapierfoundation.com/

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Going Out to Party? Find a Sober Ride!
Don't become a statistic. Designate a driver or call a cab if you drink alcoholic beverages while you are out on the town. AAA provides Tow to Go; call 1-800-AAA-HELP(222-4357). Tow to Go will provide you a ride and your car will be towed safely home on holidays. Bay News 9 story on Tow to Go. Another option is Zingo. Zingo provides a driver who comes to you on a motorized scooter. The driver folds up the scooter, placing it in your trunk, then drives you safely home. St. Petersburg Times story on Zingo. Need a Zingo driver? Call 1-888-946-4611 or go to Zingo Tampa

Has your drinking led to health, legal, social or financial problems?
If you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. Call Alcoholics Anonymous at 813-933-9123 or go to the website for meeting times/ locations in the Tampa area: Tri-County Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous

Why age 21?
The Amethyst Initiative advocates for opening a debate about the legal drinking age. A group  130 college presidents have signed on to this initiative, because they say the 21 drinking age "is not working". The Initiative suggests that lowering the drinking age might help reduce high risk drinking  and encourage "more responsible" drinking by persons under the age of 21. But, research shows that when the drinking age was lowered to 18 years old in many states in the 70's, there was an increase in teen binge drinking and a jump in alcohol related injuries and fatalities in the 16 to 20 year old age group. Then in the 1980's, when the age was increased to 21, binge drinking and alcohol-related crash rates fell. TAC supports the minimum drinking age of 21 because it saves lives. The Amethyst Initiative and the resulting media coverage gives coalitions a great opportunity to advocate for more effective science-based strategies to prevent high-risk drinking.

• Lower the National Drinking Age? The Debate May Be On. This story includes an interview of Ellen Snelling, TAC co-chair, who supports the 21 drinking age.

• Age 21 Minimum Drinking Age Quick Stats- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• An Examination of the Criticisms of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age 21 Laws in the United States from a Traffic-Safety Perspective (This paper summarizes the research  that supports the 21 drinking age and offers responses to common arguments against the 21 MLDA)

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety- In Support of the 21 Drinking Age

• D.O.E. Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention regarding the Minimum Legal Drinking Age: Frequently Asked Questions

• Letter to the Editor of the Tampa Tribune "Don't Lower the Drinking Age"

• Tampa Tribune Editorial "Lowering the Drinking Age Won't Solve the Binge drinking Problem."

• Chicago Tribune editorial "Keep the Drinking Age at 21".

• MADD web site: Why 21?

• News Story on My Fox Tampa Bay "Time to Lower the Drinking Age?" (TAC weighs in)

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office "BATmobile" Breath Testing vehicle is ready for action at the June 20, 2008 DUI checkpoint hosted by Tampa Police Department on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. See Events for photos from the July 4th DUI Checkpoint in Tampa. Click for HCSO Calendar for dates of upcoming DUI checkpoints and saturations.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office S.A.V.E. program- working with alcohol vendors to save lives. The Sheriff's Office, Tampa Alcohol Coalition and Pepin Distributing collaborated to hold a symposium on responsible beverage service for bar owners and mangers. See news story featured on WTVT FOX News on March 4, 2008

Alcohol Policy- Hot Topics

Currently, 18-20 year-olds are allowed to patronize bars in Florida, even though the minimum drinking age is 21. Fourteen cities and counties have enacted ordinances to ban persons under the age of 21 from bars. Here are recent articles on this topic:

• Boca Raton Makes Bars, Nightclubs off-limits to under-21

• Palm Beach County passes ordinance to enhance security measures and ban persons under age 21 from nightclubs. Article in the Sun Sentinel December 17, 2008

• The City of Cape Coral passed an age 21 ordinance in January 2008.

• The City of Sunrise approved a Patron Age Restriction ordinance in February 2008. Here is a link to the ordinance: City of Sunrise Patron Age Restriction

Alcohol and the Teen Brain                                                                           
According to the New York Times article The Grim Neurology of Teenage Drinking, a young person's brain is still developing into the early twenties, and underage drinking can adversely affect the developing brain. "There is no doubt about it now: there are long-term cognitive consequences to excessive drinking of alcohol in adolescence," said Aaron White, an assistant research professor in the psychiatry department at Duke University. For more information on alcohol's effects on the brain and underage drinking research, go to Dr. Aaron White's web site: Topics in Alcohol Research.

Alcohol Environment
One approach for reducing alcohol and other drug problems is community-based prevention programs. These programs focus on changing the environment in which a person consumes alcohol rather than the behavior of the individual drinker. Increasing enforcement of underage drinking laws, restricting cheap and free drink specials and changing the bar entrance age to 21 and up are all effective ways to change the alcohol environment and reduce youth access to alcohol. Community Coalitions that focus on underage drinking can make a big impact on changing the alcohol environment. Here is a Directory of Florida Community Coalitions.

Florida Alcohol Laws
Florida alcohol laws are not as strict as other states. In Florida, 18 year olds can patronize and work in bars. There are no restrictions on "drink specials" such as "Kill the Keg" and Ladies Drink Free". Bars can offer drinking games such as "beer pong". Florida is one of only 3 states in the US that do not have a criminal law against serving obviously intoxicated persons. Florida's dram shop law is weak; it states that bar employees who serve obviously intoxicated persons over age 21 are not civilly liable (unless the intoxicated person is a habitual drunkard). Related story in the Dec. 22, 2007 Gainesville Sun. Learn more about Florida Alcohol Policy and policy resources for coalitions, click on the TAC Alcohol Policy Page.

Report underage drinking and alcohol sales:
HCSO Crime Tips Line: 1-800-873-TIPS (in Hillsborough County)

Tragic End to the Life of a Public Servant

Early in the morning on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, Sergeant Ronald Harrison, supervisor of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 3 D DUI squad was shot and killed after completing a successful DUI checkpoint in Brandon. The man who murdered Sgt. Harrison had a high blood alcohol level, according to the medical examiner report. Sergeant Harrison served the Sheriff's Office for more than 27 years, and was active on several boards and community groups, including the Tampa Alcohol Coalition. He dedicated his life to public safety. Ron Harrison will be greatly missed. Related articles on tbo.com. WTSP news story and videos about Sgt. Harrison's funeral on August 21, 2007. Read the reflections about Sgt. Ron Harrison on his Officer Down Memorial page

Do you drink too much? Find out by taking the quiz below. Click on "Is my drinking risky?"

Tampa Alcohol Coalition is a subcommittee of the Hillsborough County Anti Drug Alliance.

Do you have questions about Tampa Alcohol Coalition or comments on this website? Contact er.snelling@verizon.net